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Future Library: Publication date 2114

Scottish artist Katie Paterson is a patient women. Her current project Future Library will take 100 years to consummate! You heard right; a century from inception to completion.Here’s the deal:

A forest has been planted in Norway, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in one hundred years time. Between now and then, one writer every year will contribute a text, with the writings held in trust, unpublished, until 2114.The texts will be held in a specially designed room in the New Public Deichmanske Library in Oslo. Tending the forest and ensuring its preservation for the 100-year duration of the artwork finds a conceptual counterpoint in the invitation extended to each writer: to conceive and produce a work in the hopes of finding a receptive reader in an unknown future

Katie Paterson. Photo: Giorgia Polizzi

On selecting the writers Patterson told Blouin Artinfo “The authors are being selected for their outstanding contributions to literature and poetry and for their work’s ability to capture the imagination of this and future generations…Two key words in our selection process are imagination and time. We are aiming for 100 contributions from writers of any age, nationality, of any content, of mixed genres and styles, and in any language. The length of the piece is entirely for the author to decide. The title and their name will be displayed in the library room, but nothing beyond that.” Paterson has also created a limited edition print which doubles as a certificate that entitles the owner to one complete set of the texts printed on the paper made from the trees after they are fully grown and cut down in 2114. Future Library, Katie Paterson from Katie Paterson on Vimeo. Katie Paterson, Future Library.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.